Saturday, January 31, 2009

14 February 2009Secaucus, NJ - The Hudson County Genealogical Society meeting is pleased to feature Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak speaking on Trace Your Roots with DNA. The meeting starts promptly at 11:00 a.m. at the Secaucus Public Library. See www.secaucus.bccls.org for directions. Ms. Smolenyak's books will be available for puchase. For more information, visit www.hudsoncountynjgenealogy.org, or email ebh1776@optonline.net.

14 February 2009Port Charlotte, FL - The Charlotte County Genealogical Society, Inc., proudly presents its spring Family History Symposium, "Improving Your Genealogy Research Performance," featuring Stephen P. Morse, creator of the One-Step Website for which he received a Lifetime Achievement Award and the Outstanding Contribution Award from IAJGS. This event will be at the Lutheran Church of the Cross at 2300 Luther Road from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Mr. Morse's topics are One-Step Webpages: A Potpourri of Genealogical Search Tools, One-Step Webpages: A Hodgepodge of Lesser-Known Gems, Playing Hide and Seek in the US Census, and What Color Ellis Island Search Form Should I Use? Cost is $30 for CCGS members and $35 for non-members. Symposium materials & lunch are included in the registration fee. Reservation & Lunch deadline is Friday, Feb. 6. After this date you will need to bring your lunch. For a registration form, call Barbara Powell at 941-629-2344 or email her at: bepowell2001@yahoo.com.

20-21 February 2009Denver, CO - The Colorado Genealogical Society will host its annual seminar 20-21 February 2009. The featured speakers will be Thomas H. Shawker, M.D. and Patricia O'Brien Shawker, CG. On Friday, 20 February, Dr. Shawker will address the society's regularly scheduled meeting on Genealogy and Your Health at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 2300 S. Patton Ct., Denver. On Saturday, 21 February, he will present DNA Testing: the Very, Very Basics and Race Ethnicity, and Ancestry: DNA Testing. Patricia Shawker will speak on One Family's Footprint in the Federal Records and Before Statehood: Territorial Records. Friday's presentation is free. Saturday is an all-day event at the Denver Public Library, Central Branch, 13th & Broadway, Denver, with a materials fee of $30 per person. For more information, please visit the website online at www.cogensoc.us.

20-21 February 2009Tallahassee, TN - The Tallahassee Genealogical Society presents TALGEN TECH with Dick Eastman, well known as the author of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, a daily publication read by more than 25,000 genealogists around the world. He is also a frequent presenter at major national and international conferences including GENTECH. He has published numerous articles in a wide variety of publications and was an advisor to PBS' Ancestry series where he also appeared as a guest in one of the episodes.

The seminar will be on 21 February from 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church in Tallahassee. Dick Eastman, will provide the following presentations: Photographing Old or Delicate Documents and Photography, Genealogy searches on Google, Tombstone Photography, and Where is Genealogy Software Headed? Cost is $50 for TGS members and $60 for non-members if registered by 27 January and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. (Lunch is NOT guaranteed for onsite registration.) Enter Alfriend Hall at the corner of Call and Calhoun Streets. Print your registration form and find more information at www.talgen.org.

Also, join us for Research Day in the Florida State Archives on Friday, 20 February, from 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. at the R. A. Gray Building, 500 S. Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida Take advantage of personal research in the Florida State Archives. We will begin with an archives tour at 9:30 a.m. Afterwards help will be on hand for beginning researchers throughout the day. Lunch on your own. Join usfor dinner with Dick Eastman at 6 p.m. at the Golden Eagle Golf & Country Club, 3700 Golden Eagle Drive, Tallahassee, at a cost of $30 each while Mr. Eastman presents Putting the Genes in Genealogy! For details, visit www.talgen.org.

· Rubik's Cube Genealogy: A New Twist on Your Old Data· The Research Cycle: Don't Pedal Backwards· Thinking Outside the Index: Online Search Techniques· Sharing Your Data in an Internet Age

Cost is $37.50 for members and $40 for non-members including a buffet lunch. For further information or a registration form to download please see the society's Web site at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~azgvgs/.

28 February 2009Whittier, CA - Whittier Area Genealogical Society presents its 26th Annual Seminar from 8:00 am to 4:00 p.m. and features Curt B. Witcher, Manager for The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN. Mr. Witcher also serves as general curator for that institution's Rare and Fine Book Collection. He is the co-editor of the 1987 through 2008 editions of the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) and is a former president of both the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society and is the founding president of the Indiana Genealogical Society. His presentations will be "Doing Effective Genealogical Research in Libraries," "Using Periodical Literature for Genealogical Research," "Pain in the Access: Getting More from the Internet for Your Genealogy," and "All That Other Stuff!: Other Census Records Beyond Population Schedules." Visit the vendor/display area before and between presentations. Registration is $32 until 21 February; if later, add $3. For complete information and form, check the WAGS website, http://www.cagenweb.com/kr/wags. For questions, call or email: Judy Poole, Seminar Director, at (909) 985-6657, judypoole@verizon.net.

28 February 2009Port Charlotte, FL - German Research Genealogy Seminar in Southwest Florida features Baerbel Johnson, for the first time in Florida, presenting "Putting Flesh on the Genealogical Skeleton." Baerbel Johnson is a professional genealogist working at the Family History Library as an International Reference Consultant. She holds degrees in Family and Local History Studies and Sociology from BYU with more than 20 years of extensive experience in European family history research with emphasis on Germany. Her presentations will include:

· Marriage Laws and Customs in Germany · German Research on the Internet · Strategies for Solving German Research Problems · Internet Resources for Locating the 19th Century German Emigrant

The seminar is from 8:00AM to 3:30PM at St. James Episcopal Church, 1375 Viscaya Drive, Port Charlotte, FL. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m and the seminar begins at 9:15 a.m. Fee is $25.00 for members, $30.00 for non-members. Pre-registration by February 18, 2009 includes lunch. For more information and a registration form, visit our website at www.rootsweb.com/~flggrg

· Search for library materials—Enter search terms such as keywords, author or title · Find a WorldCat library near you—Enter your ZIP, postal code or location in the Libraries Locator · Call a library—Highlight and click the phone number in a library listing to place a call · Map a route—Find the fastest way to a WorldCat library using the mapping software already on your device

Note: Somebody should tell President Obama about this-- apparently he carries a Blackberry everywhere he goes!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Our ancestors often pulled kids out of school-- but the reason was generally because they were needed to help with planting / harvesting crops. More and more present-day US families are saying yes to home schooling-- 1.5 million kids were home schooled in 2007:

Sunday, February 8Book Signing10 am - NoonCharles Hubbard, author of Lincoln Reshapes the Presidency; Edna Green Medford, co-author of the book about Lincoln's famous speech, The Emancipation Proclamation; and Dr. Wayne Temple, author of From Skeptic to Prophet.Museum Store

Monday, February 9The Last Lincoln Lecture7 pmPresented by Richard Carwardine, Rhodes Professor of American History at Oxford University and author of Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power.Museum, Union TheaterFree admission - Reservations Required: (217) 558-8934

An article about the incredible hardships suffered by thousands of Allied airmen forced by the Germans to march for days during a bitterly cold Polish winter (January 1945), as the Germans made an unsuccessful effort to evade capture by the rapidly advancing Russians. One of the airmen was an American bomber pilot from Cape Girardeau, Mo:

Thursday, January 29, 2009

DatePad is a fairly simply calendar / text editor that can be used for recording your memories for a family history / personal history:

“DatePad combines the power of a calendar with the ease of a text editor. It is a simple and easy multi-purpose application that can be used in a surprisingly large number of ways. DatePad is now available in English (default), Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French and German.”

Daschund lovers and their lovable companions descend upon Soulard Market Park for the annual PetSmart Wiener Dog Derby. Daschunds race in three divisions based on age: Cocktail Wienies, Ballpark Franks and Hot Dogs. The finals are followed by the trophy presentation ceremony in the Wiener's Circle:

And somebody should point this out to the U.S. Army-- it seems flash drives with sensitive, sometimes classified information about soldiers and military operations have recently turned up in thrift stores in Oklahoma and Afghanistan:

Tuesday in St. Louis was interesting, to say the least. The metro area received 5-10 inches of snow, depending on location. My neighborhood got 6 inches (that I spent an hour and ten minutes removing from my walkway and driveway). Good news- my workplace called Wednesday a Snow Day, and I was able to stay home!

It seems funny to say so, but people in St. Louis were apparently the lucky ones. Folks south of us got sleet and ice instead of snow, and many of them are without power. Hope you are warm and the lights are on!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Lt. Audie Murphy was without doubt an incredibly brave man-- but read this account of the WWII action that won him the Congressional Medal of Honor, and see if you don't agree that on one day at least he had an angel on his shoulder:

Auschwitz survivors and Polish government officials today marked the 64th anniversary of the liberation of the death camp on 27 January 1945. Polish officials noted that buildings at the site are rapidly being deteriorated by harsh Polish winters, and that $130 million in donations will be needed in the next ten years to save the site where more than 1 million enemies of the Nazis (Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and political prisoners) were murdered:

The Learning Center includes sections on Art & Culture, History & Citizenship, and Language & Literature. The section on History & Citizenship will be of great interest to those with British ancestors (myself included):

Did you have San Francisco kin during the time period 1923-1960? Yes? Then you may want to check out the Halsted Mortuary Database (they apparently had the contract to handle burials at the local national cemetery):

Bill Stone, last British vet of both World Wars, died recently at age 107. He was a stoker in the Royal Navy during WWI, and took part in the Dunkirk evacuation and the invasion of Sicily during WWII. The article also discusses the three remaining British WWI vets: one is 107, another is 110, and the last gentleman is 112 years old.

Note: I hope this article helps impress upon you all the importance of asking your family's WWII vets questions about their WWII service while they are still alive and lucid-- the opportunity is very quickly disappearing!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Anyone familiar with MoSGA Journal editor, Bob Doerr, knows that he is a busy, busy guy! He could use some help proofing transcriptions of extracts from Missouri newspapers. If you are a MoSGA member, have a computer with a CD drive, and have some free time on your hands, drop us a line here and we can provide you with more information / get you started proofing! Thanks!

“Fire destroyed the office of the War Department and all its files in 1800, and for decades historians believed that the collection, and the window it provided into the workings of the early federal government, was lost forever. Thanks to a decade-long effort to retrieve copies of the files scattered in archives across the country, the collection has been reconstituted and is offered here as a fully-searchable digital database. Learn more about the restoration of the collection.”

Thanks are due to the Center for History & New Media at George Mason University for making this wonderful resource available!

This is a friendly reminder that annual dues for the Missouri State Genealogical Association (MoSGA) expired December 31, 2008 (if you have already mailed in dues for 2009, please disregard this notice-- and thanks for supporting MoSGA!).

Annual dues for individuals or institutions are $20; contributing members are $40 annually; patrons are $100 annually; and life memberships are available for $400 (one time payment). Dues should be mailed to PO Box 833, Columbia, MO 65205-0833.

We appreciate your timely renewal! Postcard reminders and mailing of back-issues costs money - money we'd rather use to help the genealogical community.

Your continuing membership entitles you to:

• Current issues of the "Show Me" State Newsletter. We welcome news of happenings in your local society; books you are publishing, meetings, family reunions, etc. for inclusion in the Newsletter. Please send the information to the attention of our Newsletter Editor at PO Box 833, Columbia, MO 65205-0833 or email the editor, Tom Pearson, at 89ilguy@gmail.com.

• MoSGA Journal. This publication contains 64 pages per issue and is published 4 times per year with the first issue coming out in late March, thence every 3 months thereafter. Members are encouraged to send in the following for potential publication: Bible records, Cemetery listings, county records, etc. Please send materials to Journal Editor at PO Box 833, Columbia, MO 65205-0833 or email the editor, Bob Doerr at BOB.DOERR@gmail.com.

• Free "Queries" in the MoSGA Journal, up to fifty words each, as many as space will permit.

• Four Generation Chart. Please consider submitting a Four Generation chart that will be indexed on our Web site, www.mosga.org. For privacy reasons, the "birth date" of LIVING individuals that were born after 1910 will not appear in the online index. Please sign your name to grant permission to publish the information and send it to PO Box 833, Columbia, MO 65205-0833.

• Annual Conference is held in August, normally at a central location in the state. Keynote speakers are nationally recognized, and our numerous supporting speakers help to provide broad subject areas. An exhibit hall allows you to shop for books and other materials. Networking with other family researchers is an added benefit.

• Speakers. Board members are available to share their expertise by presenting sessions at workshops and local society programs.

• WEB SITE. We have our own web site where you can find more information about our Association, a Publications List, upcoming Annual Conference and other news. Our web site address is www.mosga.org

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

I know that Atom, feed readers, feeds, RSS, and syndication are scary terms for some of you, but honestly, folks-- signing up for a feed reader like Google Reader can greatly simplify your online life. Google is trying to make it easy for you to set up a Google Reader account by hosting a Google Reader blog, and by making very helpful posts like the following:

DNA research may help researchers unlock some of the secrets of medieval manuscripts. No, they haven't figured out how to isolate DNA of the scribes who created the manuscripts-- the DNA they're planning to extract will come from the animal skins the manuscripts are written on:

Saturday, January 17, 2009

True, your 401K just took the porcelain plunge, and you'll probably need to keep working just so you can afford medical insurance, but it's still nice to know that retiring just got quite a bit easier:

2009 NGS Family History Conference-Local Tours, Pre-Conference Sessions, Free Events, and More

The 2009 NGS Family History Conference in Raleigh will take place in the brand new Raleigh Convention Center. Hotel accommodations are in the adjoining new Marriott Hotel or nearby at the Sheraton or New Clarion Hotels. All conference hotels are offering free parking to guests.

Raleigh is the capital of the state of North Carolina and is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. It is the second most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte. It was founded in 1792 as North Carolina's capital city and named for Sir Walter Raleigh.

Downtown Raleigh has undergone much recent development with more than $1.3 billion in investment, including the brand-new Raleigh Convention Center and Marriott Hotel. Fayetteville Street in downtown has undergone a major renaissance with outside artwork, outdoor dining, and many restaurants. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is just 15 minutes from downtown.

Attendees of the 2009 NGS Family History Conference will find Raleigh a great place to stay. In addition to the conference, visitors can explore the many great cultural and historical offerings in the city, and attend local tours, pre-conference, and free events. A complete listing of all the sessions and tours is available here:

Effective 1 January 2009, proposals are being accepted for the 2010 NGS Family History Conference, "Follow Your Ancestral Trails," to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, 29 April–1 May 2010. Salt Lake City is a place where you discover millions of records for ancestors who lived almost anywhere around the world. The international theme for this conference encourages submissions for lectures on topics about ancestral countries, both old and new. Other possible topics include methodology, problem solving, federal records, military records, land records, migration, ethnic, technology, and family history writing.

Sessions are generally limited to fifty minutes plus a ten-minute question-and-answer session. Syllabus material (PDF files), due in early 2010, is required for each lecture or workshop presentation and will be included in the syllabus distributed to all conference registrants.

Please see proposal guidelines for instructions regarding submission of proposals:

Speakers may submit any number of proposals. NGS members will be given first consideration as speakers.

Lecturers will receive complimentary conference registration and publications. Compensation, per diem, and lodging will be based on the number of lectures given, and transportation expenses will depend upon the speaker's home address.

One day I was sitting in the Salt Lake City Family History Library and the woman across the way laughed out loud. I went to see what caused the merriment and she had a census film on the reader. The occupation listed for the head of household was "town drunk." I could just see his wife sitting home alone when the census taker came by and finally getting even with her wandering husband. I'm sorry I never got the citation for that film.

If you’re a fellow Honest Abe-aholic, this free symposium will make you wish you could work out the logistics of being in DC on April 18th and 19th:

November 5, 2008, Washington, D.C. – The Congressionally-chartered Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission has endorsed a planned two-day symposium on the health of President Abraham Lincoln to be held in April 2009 at the National Museum of Health and Medicine of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (NMHM). NMHM is open to the public and located on the campus of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The first day of the symposium (Saturday, April 18, 2009) will feature discussions on genetics and the neurologic death of the president. The first day will conclude with a keynote lecture by noted Lincoln historian and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island Frank J. Williams. The second day (Sunday, April 19) will offer a look at the history of the Museum’s exhibitions on Lincoln and other illnesses he suffered over the course of his lifetime. (All scheduled lectures and speakers are tentative and subject to change.)

The Museum is planning a revamping of its permanent exhibition of artifacts related to the assassination of President Lincoln. Surgeons from the Army Medical Museum (the progenitor of today’s NMHM) were called to the president’s bedside and later performed the autopsy, during which time they recovered the bullet that killed the president. The bullet, along with several small shards from Lincoln’s skull, locks of hair and other artifacts, are on display at the Museum.

Seating for the two-day symposium is extremely limited and free registration is required. Interested parties should phone (202) 782-2673 to inquire about registration.

Media representatives interested in learning more about the Lincoln exhibition or the symposium on Lincoln’s health should contact Tim Clarke, Jr., NMHM Public Affairs Officer, phone (202) 782-2672.

The National Museum of Health and Medicine of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, established in 1862, inspires interest in and promotes the understanding of medicine—past, present, and future—with a special emphasis on tri-service American military medicine. As a National Historic Landmark recognized for its ongoing value to the health of the military and to the nation, the Museum identifies, collects, and preserves important and unique resources to support a broad agenda of innovative exhibits, educational programs, and scientific, historical, and medical research. The Museum is an element of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), a tri-service Army, Navy and Air Force agency of the Department of Defense with a threefold mission of consultation, education and research. The Museum is located at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. Visit the Museum Web site here or call (202) 782-2200.

MEDIEVAL-GEN—A mailing list for discussing the time period roughly from AD 500 to AD 1600 in the general area of Europe.

NEW-ENGLAND-MEMORIES—A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of memories about ancestors who lived in the New England States during any time period and the childhood memories of the subscribers to the list.

WW2-POW—A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information regarding prisoners of war and their circumstances, camps, etc. in any location during the Second World War.

To find or subscribe to a mailing list, or to search archived posts to more than 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy mailing lists, go here:

While it is interesting to uncover this information, it can be even more rewarding to join a lineage or heritage society. Joining a society means having your application given an official stamp of approval by a society genealogist. This verification process indicates that the evidence you have used to support your application is sound and well-documented.

Joining a lineage society can be especially rewarding when the society has a local chapter where you can meet others with whom you share a common background and interest. Many societies have newsletters and educational programs.

How do you go about joining a lineage society?

1) First, locate a society you'd like to join. A good place to look is the "Societies and Groups--Lineage" section of Cyndi's List:

There you will find a linked index that provides access to the websites of various organizations whether your ancestor qualifies for an early American society, a first families and pioneers group of a specific locality, a military or war-related society, or some other interest group.

2) Check the requirements for membership for the society of interest to you and follow the procedures for applying listed on the society's Web page.

3) If you have questions pertaining to your eligibility write to a contact person listed on the Web page. Societies may have message boards where you can post a query or lookup request to learn whether your ancestor is already on a qualifying ancestor list. Some societies maintain a message board at RootsWeb:

No matter whether your ancestors were pirates, tavern keepers, or nobility, you may find that pursuing lineage or heritage society membership will prove educational and offer social opportunities to join with like-minded genealogists.

The Archives of Michigan recently announced that it has received an extensive collection (one of the largest in the country) of Civil War letters.

Donated by Wallace K. Ewing of Grand Haven, the 291 letters will be made available to researchers visiting the Archives, and electronic versions will be added to the Archives of Michigan Digital Collection during Spring 2009.

This gold digger actually panned for gold in mid-19th century Australia:

“If you have visions of a middle-aged parasol-bearing lady smiling sweetly from her carriage as she tours Bendigo, think again. In 1852, 20 year old clergyman’s daughter Ellen and her brother boarded ship for Melbourne, then set off to walk to Bendigo. Dressed in her blue serge skirt which doubled as nightwear, she camped under a tent made of blankets, had mutton, damper and tea most meals and on arrival lent her hand to gold washing. And seemed to enjoy it !”

Project Gutenberg ebook of A Lady’s Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852-53 by Ellen Clacy:

Interesting article in Bushwhacker Musings 40:3 (July 1, 2008) on the Grange, an organization for farmers popular in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Grange was founded in 1867 by Oliver Kelly. By the end of 1873, there were 1,000 Granges in 31 states. Vernon County was host to two long-time Granges: Stotesbury and Blue Mound.

Periodicals mentioned in this blog are available at the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri. Contact them if you'd like a copy of an article mentioned in this blog:

Interesting article in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly 96:2 (June 2008) in which the author attempts to prove that Casper Diederich Jäger and Heinrich Jäger are the same person. The article helps illustrate ways to confirm identity of 19th century "mystery men" (and women). It also points out just how easy it was for 19th century people to change their names, since there was no requirement that they formalize the change in any court.

Periodicals mentioned in this blog are available at the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, Missouri. Contact them if you'd like a copy of an article mentioned in this blog:

Fascinating series of articles about efforts to open the International Tracing Service Archives at Bad Arolsen, Germany to researchers and scholars, and about the author’s very personal connection to one Holocaust story:

If you think this blog shows a bias towards Scotland, you're right-- it's a wonderful country!

If you've got Highlands blood coursing through your veins (or if you just want to visit a beautiful country that has friendly people, beautiful scenery, great castles, great whisky, and great golfing) you should visit the Homecoming Scotland 2009 website. It includes news about upcoming events, a Scottish trip planner, and you can send a free e-postcard or sign up for their free newsletter:

Sort of, and for an extremely limited term of office (and not officially). He's the service member stand-in for our new Commander-in-Chief who took the inaugural oath as part of the dress rehearsal that took place in Washington on Sunday, January 11, 2009:

You say you’d like to know what Henry Kissinger was saying during the thousands of phone calls he made while acting as President Nixon’s National Security advisor? Great news, then-- the George Washington University National Security Archive has released transcripts / audio of those calls on its website:

“North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online is the World Wide Web's doorway to the special collections of North Carolina's libraries, archives, museums, historic sites, and other cultural institutions.

NC ECHO promotes the use of digital technologies to broaden and enhance access to North Carolina's cultural heritage and fosters collaboration among all of the state's cultural resource institutions through grant funding, education and training opportunities and digitization activities.”

“North Carolina Maps is a comprehensive, online collection of historic maps of the Tar Heel State. Featuring maps from three of the state's largest map collections -- the North Carolina State Archives, the North Carolina Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill, and the Outer Banks History Center -- North Carolina Maps provides an unprecedented level of access to these materials. When complete, North Carolina Maps will contain over 1,500 maps, ranging in date from the late 1500s to the 1960s, and will include detailed maps for each of North Carolina's one hundred counties.”

If you’re planning a trip this year (or just dreaming about places you might have been able to visit if the economy hadn’t taken the porcelain plunge), the New York Times offers free advice on what to see and do in more than 1,000 popular destinations:

Friday, January 09, 2009

Ray Lukenbill shares the following information about genealogy books that are being scanned and put on the Internet in BYU's "Family History Archive." The Brigham Young University website search page is:

This is a cooperative project in which several major libraries including the Midwest Genealogy Center (Mid-Continent Public Library), Allen County Public Library, and others are participating to make resources available on the internet without charge. You can search the collection by surname, author, or title; you can also browse the collection. Many new items are being added each week. Information on the website says: The Family History Archive is a collection of published genealogy and family history books. The archive includes histories of families, county and local histories, how-to books on genealogy, genealogy magazines and periodicals (including some international), medieval books (including histories and pedigrees), and gazetteers. It also includes some specialized collections such as the Filipino card collection and the “Liahona Elders Journal.” The books come from the collections of the FamilySearch Family History Library, the Allen County Public Library, the Houston Public Library – Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, the Mid-Continent Public Library – Midwest Genealogy Center, the BYU Harold B. Lee Library, the BYU Hawaii Joseph F. Smith Library, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church History Library.

We hope you will find something about the family members you are researching in some of these digitized publications!

Along that same line, the Missouri Digital Heritage Collections are at:

If you are researching Missouri ancestors, this will be a valuable resource for you.

We are presently working on layout for the new Vernon County Cemetery Directory... the new directory will have thousands of burials which were not previously published. Thank you for your patience regarding this multi-year process and to those who helped survey gravestones and input data.

MyHeritage, the leading online destination for families, with more than 27 million worldwide members, has just released the new Family Tree Builder 3 with improved standard and premium features, available as a free download from:

OK, so it won’t make anybody rich, but farmers needing some extra income can set aside part of their land as prairie chicken habitat-- it seems that these native birds need a helping hand if they’re going to survive the 21st century:

If you like military history, or need an impartial opinion about a military history book you’d like to give as a gift, you’ll like this site, which offers five years of reviews (2005-2009) of recent books about military history (all periods):

Starting today, you can enjoy big-time savings on PARCEL POST shipping costs at www.genealogical.com. For the next seven days, you can order any quantity of books and/or CDs on our website www.genealogical.com and pay only one penny for PARCEL POST shipping.

You can order as many times as you like before 9:00 AM EST, Friday, January 16, 2009, and be charged just a penny for postage and handling on each order. This limited-time offer applies to every book and CD in our collection.

For example, you can use the penny offer towards a classic textbook such as Val Greenwood's Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, or Thorndale/Dollarhide's Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920; any of the 40%-and-more-off "Genealogy Warehouse" books on our site; Martha McCartney's outstanding biographical dictionary, Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635; or the New England Genealogy Bundle, Ohio Genealogy Bundle, or one of the other terrific 4-CD bundles in our collection. You can have any of these products--or anything else on our site--for just one cent more than the retail price!

IMPORTANT EXCEPTION: This special offer applies only to PARCEL POST shipments within the U.S. All UPS, Federal Express, other USPS shipping methods (e.g., Priority Mail, Next-Day Mail), and International shipping will be charged our regular shipping and handling rates.

If you’re interested in Greene County, Missouri ancestors, you should be VERY interested in Dr. Hall’s Abstracts and Index of Items of Genealogical Interest—it consists of 225 volumes of clippings from Springfield area newspapers, 1865-2006:

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

State fact sheets provide information on population, employment, income, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators, and top commodities, exports, and counties for each state in the United States.

Saturday, January 03, 2009

If the depression we’re talking about is depressed oil prices. It seems rock-bottom oil prices are making life more difficult both for our terrorist enemies and some of our country’s most vocal foreign critics:

Web surfing, that is-- there’s scientific evidence that people who get most of their information from computer screens rather than books don’t process and analyze that information as well as people whose information gathering habits involve a more balanced mixture of book reading and web surfing:

A reading list of books supposedly suitable for kids. Some good titles for kids are included, but it also includes books by William Faulkner and Walt Whitman, so the person who wrote the list was apparently writing with somewhat older kids in mind:

WORLDCAT SEARCH

ABOUT US

We are the Missouri State Genealogical Association. You can find out more about our events and publications, including our big annual conference, and learn how to join our association on our website!

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